News

As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ongoing effort to make the oversight of food safety stronger and more efficient, the FDA and the USDA today announced the alignment of the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (USDA H-GAP) with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA’s) Produce Safety Rule.

MEXICO WILL IMPOSE EQUIVALENT MEASURES ON VARIOUS PRODUCTS IN RESPONSE TO THE US PROTECTIONIST MEASURES ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM.

Mexico deeply regrets and disapproves the decision of the United States to impose these tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from Mexico as of June 1, on national security grounds.

Mexico has repeatedly stated that these types of measures under the veil of national security are unjustified. Steel and aluminum are inputs that contribute to the competitiveness of several strategic and highly integrated sectors in North America, such as autos, aerospace, electric and electronics, among others. Mexico is the largest market for US aluminum and the second importer of US steel. Mexico reiterates its position against protectionist measures that distort international merchandise trade.

In response to the decision of the United States to impose tariffs, Mexico will adopt equivalent measures on a variety of products, including flat steel (hot and cold foil, including coated and tubes and pipes), lamps, pork legs and shoulders, sausages and food preparations, apples, grapes, cranberries, various cheeses, and others products, up to an amount comparable to damage caused by the United States’ action.

This measure will be in force for as long as the US government maintains the imposed tariffs. Mexico reiterates its openness to a constructive dialogue with the US, its commitment to the international trade system, and its rejection of unilateral protectionist measures.

The FDA DUNS Portal is currently available. The portal available at https://fdadunslookup.com/ provides industry with the ability to look-up and/or verify DUN and Bradstreet numbers to assist in the identification of DUN and Bradstreet numbers for firms.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib), administered together, for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) that cannot be removed by surgery or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), and has a type of abnormal gene, BRAF V600E (BRAF V600E mutation-positive).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a final rule to extend the compliance dates for updating Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels, from July 26, 2018, to January 1, 2020, for manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will receive an extra year to comply – until January 1, 2021. The agency published a proposed rule to extend the compliance date in September 2017, and this rule finalizes that extension.

After considering a range of stakeholder comments, the FDA recognizes the need for manufacturers to have additional time to make required changes. The approximately 18-month extension accomplishes this goal and will provide sufficient time to transition to the new version of the Nutrition Facts label.

The FDA is also committed to ensuring that all manufacturers have guidance to help implement the required label changes by the upcoming compliance dates. A full list of Nutrition Facts-related guidance documents is available on the FDA website.

A norovirus outbreak traced to raw oysters from British Columbia has crossed the Canadian border, and U.S. officials say an unusual strain of the virus is involved.

About 100 people in California have reported becoming sick with symptoms of norovirus after eating raw oysters from British Columbia, according to the California Department of Public Health. The ill people said the oysters were sold by restaurants and retail stores.

04/20/2018 1:30 PM |
Anonymous

Friday, April 20, 2018, Leadership from CBP, TAMIU and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar gathered at Texas A&M International University to formally dedicate the new offices for the Machinery Center of Excellence and Expertise, which will be housed within TAMIU’s Western Hemispheric Trade Center. Event hosts discussed the Center’s purpose and other joint projects that will be realized through this collaborative effort.